Get ’em while they’re hot! The tax-exempt bonds that are critical to financing the Atlantic Yards arena are set to go on the market next week — and they’re expected to sell faster than you can say “land grab.”

Earlier this month, Moody’s and Standard and Poor’s rated the state’s tax-free bonds as Baa3 and BBB–, respectively — meaning that the $500 million in bonds are as risky an investment as those used to finance previous sports projects like Yankee Stadium and Citi Field.

Still, the fact that the rating is just above junk-bond status — a term all too familiar from the economic crisis — provided ample fodder to those opposed to the project because it reflects a current economic climate that’s inhospitable to projects that rely so heavily on revenue sources like naming-rights deals, luxury boxes and advertising.

With the $500 million raised from the bond sale, plus the city and state’s long-promised contribution of $273 million to build the hardcourt Xanadu at the intersection of Atlantic and Flatbush avenues, Ratner will still need to pony up anywhere from a few million to a few hundred million, depending on the final cost of constructing the arena, which is in the $800-million to $1-billion range.

The bond-rating announcement is yet another signal that the Atlantic Yards project is entering a new phase — one that the opposition has fought tooth and nail to avoid.

Last month, New York State’s highest court ruled that the state could legally use its eminent domain to seize the property of the remaining holdouts in the Atlantic Yards footprint.

Reasonable discourse

Finally -- thank you Mr. Ratner for bringing a marvelous new development to Brooklyn which is filled with dilapidated old Brownstones which are falling apart

Dec. 9, 2009, 6:23 pm

s from brooklyn depths says:

yes, thank you sir, may we have another?

Dec. 9, 2009, 6:56 pm

Mike from FG says:

It's about time. Turn that dump into something we can all be proud of.

Dec. 9, 2009, 9:01 pm

k from Park Slope says:

You're barking up the wrong tree, Mike. Take a look at what he has already built - complete eyesores- nothing to be proud of for sure.

Dec. 10, 2009, 8:57 am

S from Sunset Park says:

Just get it done already!

Dec. 10, 2009, 10:16 am

Sam from Slope says:

It seems to me that - like Penn Station - this was a done deal and nothing the public could do would ever stop it. Lame. Not like they could build anything nice there anyway with the ——ty atlantic mall right near by.

Dec. 10, 2009, 1:16 pm

Jennifer from dobro says:

have you seen the new building on dekalb. that was built by ratner and its beautiful

Dec. 11, 2009, 2:23 pm

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